Talking Cars: Faulty directionals

Junior Damato

Thursday

Jun 26, 2008 at 12:01 AMJun 26, 2008 at 7:04 PM

The key to keeping any vehicle is proper service. I have never seen a vehicle have problems from too frequent service. The heart of the vehicle is proper service, not just oil changes; all services as needed.

Question: My husband and I purchased a 2000 Ford Escort in 2001. At 63,000 miles we heard a rattle-type noise coming from the front. The problem was a worn-out tie rod end. A few years later the same noise came back and, again, the tie rod end was worn out. What causes the failure of the tie rod ends?

Answer: Most front-end parts do not have grease fittings in them any more. Even some of the replacement parts delete the old time grease fitting. The second problem is the poor quality of both the original and replacement parts.

Question: I own a 1998 Ford F-150 PU with 61,000 miles. The engine was running rough, so I took it to a local shop and they determined the problem was No. 3 cylinder misfire due to a leaking intake manifold gasket. Can I continue to drive the truck without doing any damage?

Answer: The answer is no. If the shop is correct and the No. 3 cylinder is running lean (too little gas and too much air) this will cause the cylinder to run very hot, and damage the valves or piston, not to mention the catalytic converter. I would get a second opinion on the misfire before having the intake gasket replaced.

Question: I own a 1993 Olds Cutlass with only 46,000 miles. When I take my foot off the gas, the car seems to keep moving along. Can the idle speed be adjusted?

Answer: The idle speed is controlled by the computer and is not adjustable unless someone has adjusted the curb idle set screw. These fuel-injected vehicles will continue to keep moving along at speeds of 18-28 miles per hour without one touching the gas pedal. This is a normal condition.

Question: I own a 1999 Buick Park Ave. The directional signals stopped working, so I took it to a local shop and they checked it out and thought the problem was a directional switch. All the fuses are good as well as all the bulbs. The mechanic did take the steering wheel off and said he checked the switch. He could not guarantee a new switch would solve the problem. Do you have any ideas?

Answer: A qualified technician should be able to follow a wire diagram to under the circuit and make the correct repair. I have seen faulty directional switches and broken wires midway down the steering column.

Question: I am considering the purchase of a 2002-2003 Lexus ES300, which requires 91 octane. Most service stations carry 87, 89 and 93 octane. I have heard of mixing 89 and 93 together. Is this feasible? Would you advise this practice? Could I just safely use 87 octane?

Answer: The 3.0 V/6 engine requires high octane because of the compression ratio. To use the 87 octane would not be in the best interest of the engine. If you are concerned about the price of gasoline, do not buy the Lexus. There are a few other midsize high line cars that may suite your needs.

Question: I own a 2001 Ford Expedition with only 39,000 miles. The battery will go dead if I do not drive it for five days. I took the car back to the dealer and they checked the battery and alternator. Both are fine, and they said there is no electrical drainage. Something has to be wrong. Do you have any ideas?

Answer: Your vehicle has an electrical drain. It is called parasitic drain. Something as minor as a glove box light, alternator, radio or in some cases even power seat relays -- anything that has power with the key off -- could be the culprit. Find yourself a good shop that has knowledge of the electrical system.

Question: I own a 2000 Toyota Tundra pickup with the original battery. I would like to replace the battery before fall. I am wary about changing it myself because of any damage that could be done to the computer and the antitheft radio would stop working. What can I do?

Answer: Some vehicles do have antitheft radios that need to have the four-digit code put back in once the battery goes dead or is replaced. Second, there is no damage down to the main engine computer when the battery is disconnected. The main computer may take a few miles to get its memory back on the driver driving habits. Check with the dealer first to see if your car has an antitheft radio and if so, whether they retrieve the code before the battery is disconnected.

Question: I own a 1998 Mercedes ML320 with 107,000 miles. The car has been a good car, and I would like to keep it for a few more years. My friends are trying to talk me into a new car. I am very happy with this car and have no car payments. I have the car serviced every three months and my commute to work is 40 miles. How many miles or more years would be safe to keep this car?

Answer: The key to keeping any vehicle is proper service. I have never seen a vehicle have problems from too frequent service. The heart of the vehicle is proper service, not just oil changes; all services as needed.

Question: I recently purchased a 1998 Toyota Camry that has an alarm that will go off by itself. I am a weekend technician and would like to know how to safely disconnect it.

Answer: If the alarm is a factory Toyota alarm, you will have to follow the factory wire diagram. In some cases the alarm is a simple unplug and removal of the small black add-on box. If the alarm is an aftermarket alarm, simply disconnect it. The factory Toyota alarm is a good alarm and before I would disconnect it I would investigate why it false alarms.

Question: I own a 1991 Buick Century V/6 with 122,600 miles. I have always had the scheduled maintenance down at the local Buick dealer. My question is about having the timing chain replaced. I owned a 1985 Buick that the timing chain did fail. The dealer said the cost of replacement would be about $800.00. The dealer said they have no history of timing chain failure. What do you think?

Answer: The older V/6 GM engines did have some timing chain failures. At your mileage, it would not hurt to have the timing chain replaced before it breaks. Some of the top camshaft gears had a plastic insert onto of the metal gear. When these fail, all the broken plastic pieces go into the oil pan and will clog the oil pump screen.

Question: I own a 1999 Subaru Outback four-cylinder with 80,000 miles. Recently, the engine overheated. I can drive the car 100 miles and it overheats. I had the cooling system flushed and thermostat replaced. The cooling fans also seem to working fine. I did remove the thermostat and that seemed to make a big difference. What do you think?

Answer: The first step is to check the cooling system for hydrocarbon. It sounds like either a bad cylinder head or head gasket. There is also a slight chance that the water pump fins could be worn.

Junior Damato writes weekly about cars. You can send questions to him care of the Old Colony Memorial, 182 Standish Ave., Plymouth, MA 02360. He can be heard live on WXBR radio 1460, 7-10 a.m. Saturday mornings.

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